Chapter 152: Ninth District |
The Ninth District bordered the Second District, nestled in the northwest corner of the continent.
Shi Rang's entire impression of the Ninth District stemmed from the lingering memories of gathering research materials for his university thesis.
The land within the Ninth District was barren and sat at a high altitude. The dense mountainous terrain not only hindered economic development and transportation but also severely weakened the central government's control over its peripheral regions. Nominally a Confederation, it actually suffered from severe internal division. Most member states were entirely autonomous, only sharing the title of the Ninth District in name.
However, recent news broadcasts mentioned the Ninth District frequently.
When he opened the newspaper on his cross-district flight, the entire second page was dedicated to reports on the civil war raging in the Ninth District.
Multiple warlord factions and rebel groups were currently "joining in the grand festivities" across the Ninth District, plunging the civilian population into absolute misery. The Alliance's peacekeeping forces had recently been funneling refugees inland. The official diplomatic ministry of the Second District had already issued warnings, urging expatriates and tourists to avoid the conflict zones.
Fortunately, most of the chaos was concentrated along the coastal regions. The small inland nations remained relatively peaceful. Still, the overall economic situation in the Ninth District was abysmal; even without the war, most areas were as impoverished as ever.
Shi Rang's destination was the Charity Foundation Campus, a base located in one of these impoverished inland nations.
The chaos worked in his favor. It would destabilize the operations of the Charity Foundation, making it easier for him to maneuver behind the scenes.
Sighing, Shi Rang folded the newspaper and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to retreat from the tragedy to protect his own sanity.
"Are you going to rest? Should I wake you when we land?"
Jing Zi sat next to Shi Rang, while the enforcer, A Wei, was seated behind them. They were the only three passengers on this small plane.
Chartering a private flight for just three people was incredibly extravagant, but Shi Shixin's money wasn't just money—it was a penalty fee for his bankrupt conscience. Shi Rang felt absolutely no guilt spending it. Returning those funds to society and injecting them back into the economy was the best possible use for them.
"Let's rent two cars after we land," Shi Rang said. "We'll drive straight there. It will be much more convenient, and we won't have to worry about traffic control."
"Understood."
Shi Rang dove his consciousness into the Terminal Station, lurking on the Bureau's intranet to watch the drama unfold.
The intranet hosted quite a few loosely regulated chat channels where employees could idle under anonymous nicknames and gossip—though, of course, the IT Department still quietly monitored the messages.
Several chat rooms dedicated to the Ninth District were currently ablaze with activity, heavily focused on regional politics.
"Mysterious and Unpredictable: It's an absolute mess over there. Where did all these warlord factions even come from? They finally quieted down for a few years, and now they're at it again. It's just a few strips of rotten coastal land; I don't know what's so worth fighting over."
"Dreaming of Your Smile: The coastal zones are cut off from the inland economic circles. When the economy tanks, chaos follows. It's always like this."
"Christopher: There are just too many refugees. There are plenty of roads they could take, so why do they insist on fleeing into the mountains? I caught a dozen of them trespassing into the restricted zone just yesterday alone. We're running out of memory erasure amnestics. What if there's a spy mixed in with them?"
"Planetary Devastation: You should count yourself lucky. At least you aren't in charge of the engineering projects. Having to pack up and move every few years—who can tolerate that?"
Shi Rang fixated on the last employee who spoke. Tracing the data stream, he discovered the person's actual position was "Logistics Department Architectural Engineer." The files they had recently received frequently mentioned the phrase "Charity Foundation Campus Relocation."
Was the Campus relocating due to regional political instability?
There were still over two years before the final relocation would officially begin, but due to the massive scale of the engineering project, preparations were already underway.
This was more good news. It acted like a reassuring pill, granting Shi Rang an extra boost of confidence.
Back then, Facility 031's renovation project was exactly what had allowed Director Bjorn to exploit the ensuing administrative chaos. Shi Rang could take advantage of this exact same vulnerability.
A Piao had not yet provided him with a clear investigative direction, but the Alliance's demands had already come down.
However, his very first task was to infiltrate the Charity Foundation without leaving a single trace.
The plane landed at the only international airport in the small nation where the Campus was located. Jing Zi and Shi Rang took one car, while A Wei took the other. They drove along the same route toward the Charity Foundation Campus.
The roads near the airport were riddled with potholes. The so-called city looked no different from a rural town in the Second District. There were hardly any tall buildings, and the air was thick with the bleakness of anxiety and economic decline.
The trash-strewn streets were lifeless. Countless people lingered by the roadside, their hollow eyes watching the passing vehicles. Military checkpoints appeared sporadically along the main avenue, and swarms of begging children chased after the cars, shouting, "One Yuan!"
A scene like this was enough to deal a crushing blow to any tourist arriving with beautiful expectations.
It was no wonder this place was continuously spiraling into decline.
After enduring several rounds of interrogations, bribes, and inspections, Shi Rang's group finally shook off the harassment from the soldiers and vagrants, steering toward the inter-provincial highway.
The Charity Foundation Campus was situated on the border of this impoverished little country. The vast expanse of mountains and wilderness surrounding the Campus was entirely the private property of the Charity Foundation.
It would take over ten hours of driving to get there.
After confirming there shouldn't be any more checkpoints ahead, Shi Rang opened the Snuff Box he carried as an accessory and released the Mini Combat Squad.
"Yay, we can finally come out and play!"
"Hooray!"
"Line up, line up! Everyone get in line first!"
This group of little ones, completely invisible to the naked eye, swarmed out of the jewel-encrusted Snuff Box in a raucous uproar. They cheered and hollered for a bit before finally arranging themselves into a neat line on Shi Rang's palm—though unfortunately, their formation remained imperceptible.
One Tiny One climbed up to Shi Rang's ear and delivered a report.
"Reporting, Officer! I am Captain Robbie. Sheriff King said that we are to follow your orders from now on!"
Sheriff King. That title sounded rather amusing...
Shi Rang had written a separate set of Records for these little guys the night before, distinct from the one he had made for The Sheriff. The speed and strength possessed by the Mini Combat Squad were vastly inferior to that of an ordinary human, but on a microscopic scale, they were incredibly astonishing. Shi Rang also remembered Robbie; he was one of the earliest Native Miniature People and was already over two months old by now.
He quickly created an individual file for Robbie, granting him the ability of one-way communication, and subsequently issued his first command.
"Before we arrive, you guys can play in the backseat. Just don't break anything, and don't get blown away by the wind."
Though he couldn't see them, Shi Rang's Sensing allowed him to feel their tiny Energy Sources scattering about.
He shifted his posture, leaning back against the spacious rear seat to rest. Rolling down the window, he grabbed a cloth and reached out to wipe the exterior glass, scrubbing away the filthy handprints left behind by the beggars and extortionists.
Only two hours later, the vehicle drove past the inter-provincial boundary marker. The rolling hills began to thin out, revealing vast expanses of wilderness blanketed in colorful fields. The world was once again painted in the hues of peace.
They had driven into a province far removed from the war.
Shi Rang admired the pastoral scenery before him, almost forgetting that the borderlands of this very country were still entrenched in war and conflict. He gazed at the sunlight cascading over the countryside. For a fleeting moment, he only wished that such tranquility could spread across the entire world.
He had endured a great deal of suffering to reach this point, surviving numerous moments of despair and hardship. He wasn't naturally a person of indomitable willpower, but he had persevered.
There was only one reason for that. For love.
Perhaps, in the eyes of a secular and utilitarian society, such actions seemed foolish. Many people couldn't understand him, which was why he had plunged into absolute loneliness. But he was entirely willing to bear it.
A person always had to find something to serve as the meaning of their life. Why couldn't it be love?
He raised his mobile phone, snapping a few pictures of the outside world, carefully saving the beautiful scenery.
'This place is perfect for landscape reference material, Ying Shang.'
'The Ninth District isn't as gloomy and oppressive as the Tenth District—it feels like it rains year-round in the Tenth District. Even though the mountains here look bare and devoid of forests, it's very refreshing.'
'You would like it here, wouldn't you?'
The Mini Combat Squad frolicked and bounced around inside the car. Occasionally, tiny indentations would appear on the leather cushions—likely the result of their enthusiastic jumping and playing.
After quite a while, Shi Rang noticed that they had all returned to the micro-carved houses inside the Snuff Box. They were probably worn out from playing.
The sun slanted westward and finally set, plunging the endless countryside into darkness.
The road signs indicated that they had merged onto a highway funded and constructed by the Charity Foundation, entering a sparsely populated rural area.
Their two vehicles were the only ones left on the long, stretching road. A Wei's car trailed behind them, its headlights occasionally dipping out of sight behind the slopes.
Once again, they were out in the dead of night.
Moreover, there didn't seem to be anyone else driving at night on this stretch of road.
Shi Rang sighed. He fumbled for the Flashlight in his carry-on backpack, regaining a shred of a sense of security.
"Mr. Shi, there is a lady ahead," Jing Zi, who was acting as the driver, suddenly spoke up. "May I slow down?"
Shi Rang looked up, peering down the road into the pitch-black night, completely devoid of streetlamps.
Everything beyond the reach of the headlights was nothing but murky shadow.
"She looks very familiar. Slow down and ask her."
The vehicle decelerated, dropping to an idle crawl along the highway. It crept forward another few dozen meters before the headlights finally illuminated the figure.
It was a woman dressed in a red skirt and a white blouse, draped in a Red Sweater. She was exquisitely dressed.
She approached the stopped car, leaning down close to the window.
"Excuse me, could I hitch a ride?"
"You're still out walking this late, Mary?" Shi Rang opened the car door for her.
"Oh, it's you guys. Thank goodness." She slid into the empty seat in the back, offering him and Jing Zi an apologetic smile. "It's so dark, and I got lost. I'm so lucky to have run into you."
"Yes, incredibly lucky. Jing Zi, let's take Mary home first."
"Understood."
A Wei's car overtook theirs at that moment, continuing onward down the road.
Jing Zi stepped on the gas, following A Wei's car for a short while before turning off the highway at the next intersection, driving toward an unknown direction.
The car drove on like this for several minutes. Suddenly, Shi Rang massaged his temples. He glanced at the blonde woman sitting in the same row, and his eyes instantly widened.
'Who is she?'
'Why do I know her name, and where she lives?'
'I don't even know her!'
He activated his Sensing, and immediately received a definitive answer.
The hitchhiker sitting beside him was an Anomaly.